FBI Foils New Year's Eve Attack Plot in North Carolina Linked to ISIS

FBI Disrupts Terror Plot

Charlotte: On Friday, the FBI announced it had thwarted a planned attack on a grocery store in North Carolina set for New Year's Eve, apprehending an individual who was reportedly motivated by the Islamic State and had expressed allegiance to the terrorist group.

The suspect, identified as Christian Sturdivant, 18, faces charges for attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization.

Federal agents took Sturdivant into custody on Wednesday, and he is currently being held after appearing before US District Judge Susan Rodriguez on Friday morning, with a hearing scheduled for January 7.

Sturdivant's attorney did not respond immediately to requests for comments following the court appearance.

According to an FBI affidavit, Sturdivant came under scrutiny last month after authorities discovered that an account linked to him had made pro-ISIS posts on social media.

The affidavit also revealed that Sturdivant had been on the FBI's radar since January 2022, when he was still a minor, due to his communications with an ISIS member in Europe and instructions he received to wear all black and carry out attacks using a hammer.